IPhone Recording: Mikey Likes It

At the International Consumer Electronics Show, the company demonstrated Mikey Digital, a plug-in microphone for iPhones, iPods and iPads.

Mikey Digital has two condenser capsules to deliver high-quality audio — or at the very least, better quality than what is provided by Apple’s little built-in mic.

The microphone has three sensitivity settings: high, for recording something like a professor in a large classroom; an automatic setting that seeks the best volume level; and a less sensitive setting for recording loud sounds that would overwhelm it and cause distortion, called “clipping,” like a live band in a bar. The microphone has indicator lights to warn if the sound is too loud for it to handle.

There is also a 3.5-millimeter input, so you could plug in a guitar to record it while you sing, for instance.

The microphone swivels, so that when you are taking video it faces the direction the image is coming from, whether you are using the front camera or the rear-facing camera on your i-device.

The microphone’s microprocessor can take software upgrades, so it can remain compatible with future iOS upgrades.

Expected to arrive in early spring, Mikey Digital will be priced at $100, the manufacturer said.

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